1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for attaching a camera mounted in a vehicle, and in particular it relates to a structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera in a vehicle by which a plurality of cameras can be attached to a body frame of the vehicle in order to stereoscopically capture images surrounding the vehicle.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-293575, filed on Oct. 6, 2004, and on Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-293639, filed on Oct. 6, 2004, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
Such a technology has been developed, which captures the images surrounding a vehicle while the vehicle is running and when it stops and utilizes the image information for traveling support, etc. As one of the representative technologies, a stereoscopic camera technology is known which stereoscopically recognizes the surrounding images on the basis of images captured by two cameras and grasps the positional relationship in front of and behind an object.
In such a structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera, two cameras are attached one on each end of a horizontally long lateral stay in order to prevent the optical axes of both cameras from deviating due to a distortion of a body of the vehicle, and only the middle part of the lateral stay is fixed in the body (For example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-88623).
However, in a case when an infrared camera which handles light that is difficult to pass through windshields is used for the stereoscopic camera, it has been recently considered that the camera be disposed at the front grille forward of the engine room. However, since a radiator is installed in the vicinity of the front grille, there is a concern that the camera will hinder the radiator from taking in air if the camera is installed at the front grille. In addition, the camera is apt to be affected by heat emitted from the radiator.
Also, since heavy devices such as an engine, transmission, etc., are incorporated on a body frame at the front of the engine room, the front part of the vehicle is slightly lowered. Further, the degree of lowering differs between the left side and the right side of a vehicle, resulting from the disposition, etc., of such heavy devices. Therefore, when the camera is installed on the body frame at the front of the engine room, it is considered that the photographing area of the camera should be made large in advance, captured images are subjected to image processing and adjusted, and a mechanism for mechanically adjusting the optical axis is provided.
Actually, however, when image processing is carried out, in line with securing a large photographing area for the camera, an increase in production costs thereof results therefrom, and it is necessary to increase the size of the camera. In a case when a mechanical optical axis adjusting mechanism is provided, the structure of the adjusting mechanism is complex, which is inconvenient since the weight and the production costs are increased.